How do I know if I'm sad or depressed?
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Last Updated: 02/25/2023 at 7:32am
★ This question about Depression was starred by a moderator on 5/12/2016.
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Top Rated Answers
Anonymous
January 1st, 2016 10:06am
It would depend on how long it lasts. If the sadness lasts a couple of weeks, it may be more than sadness.
Anonymous
January 2nd, 2016 1:24am
There is a big difference between sad and depressed, but the main one is that when you're sad, you actually feel like crying, or giving up, but with depression, you actually don't feel anything, you feel like you have a hole in your heart, and you just don't like doing anything, and there isn't a single thing that gives you any satisfaction.
Sadness is a temporary emotion and passes quickly, however it can be caused by any other emotion. We can feel sad due to loneliness, loss or grief. However depression is a long lasting on/off emotion, that consumes ones life. There are many different forms of depression and the main symptom is Withdrawal. However the best advice possible is to seek professional advice. Doctors surgeries are anonymous and always a great source of knowledge. Whether it turns out your depressed or not, the doctor will always be able to help.
Anonymous
January 3rd, 2016 1:36pm
If you are depressed, you will feel tired a lot, and sad all the time maybe you just want to cry all the time. You might have suicidal feelings and feel extremely lonely
Anonymous
January 3rd, 2016 3:29pm
When negative, sad emotions have lasted for longer than it feels they should do, and they are getting in the way of every day life, that's depression. Sadness is actually a small part of depression. Depression often entails little pleasure and interest in doing things, hopelessness, and the feeling that you can't escape. There also tends to be physical symptoms, for example over or under appetite.
A good indicator of your emotional wellbeing is the 7 Cups Emotional Wellness test, which you can find at https://www.7cups.com/free-emotional-wellness-test/
Note that none of this is substitute to a licensed practicioner.
Anonymous
January 6th, 2016 4:47am
I won't eat or do anything. I'll just sit in my room lost in my thoughts crying my eyes out. It's and empty feeling I can't get rid of
Sadness and depression usually go hand in hand but there will be a reason why you are sad, which as a result will make you feel depressed.
Everyone experiences sadness at one point or another. It is completely natural to cry in the face of intense emotion or tragedy, or sometimes for little reason at all. However, when sadness is accompanied by other symptoms such as isolation, weight gain/loss, and lasts for at least 2 or 3 weeks you could have depression. Don't be afraid to reach out for comfort and help when you're sad, and especially if you're experiencing depression.
Anonymous
January 8th, 2016 2:52pm
Well, in my opinion theres a huge difference. Being sad is normal, everyone gets sad now and then like maybe something happened and that upset you but after a while you'll go back to feeling okay again. Being sad will last a little bit but you'll be fine afterwards but depression (from my personal experience), it's like, this dark cloud is constantly following you around. You have no motivation to do anything, you feel down for no reason, life feels like it has no type of meaning anymore, sometimes you'll cry and you won't know why and you feel like its impossible to ever be happy again, you really feel like your life is hell.
For me, when I'm sad, it's more of an emotional symptom, whereas depression is more of a mental symptom. When I'm sad, I feel it in my gut, my emotions, my memories. It's a visceral feeling of remorse, whereas when I feel depressed it is usually because I am processing from my past and it seems to originate more in my mental state of being. In other words, when I am depressed, it is because a part of my mental character is being re-calibrated and when I'm sad it's because I'm clearing old emotions.
Anonymous
January 9th, 2016 3:52am
Sadness feels specific- you are sorrowful about something that happened or something you are thinking about. Sadness is something that can improve fairly quickly with support from friends and enough time to let whatever is making you sad diminish in its scope. Depression, on the other hand, is a lackluster often nonspecific feeling that overtakes the entire experience a person is having their life. It is hard to find any joy in anything, there is a feeling of hopelessness, sometimes suicidal thoughts. Depression often does not respond to well meaning friends who try to "cheer you up".
some days you may feel like your sad or upset when a lot of good things are happening. some days may seem cloudy but just remember, you WILL get through it!
Sadness happens to a lot of people, but depression lasts longer and occurs over several weeks. Individuals who are experiencing depression have a hard time getting out of bed and don't enjoy things they normally would.
Anonymous
January 9th, 2016 10:23pm
Because I've been acting strange lately and not the same,I feel very low and I feel sad and upset all the time
"Ugh. I'm depressed." We've all said it, and even the most happy-go-lucky among us will have an occasional bout of the blues. Sometimes it's the big stuff that triggers it—like getting fired, losing a loved one, or splitting up with your spouse—but often enough, feeling low can come from things as simple as a Grey's Anatomy rerun, crappy weather, or a rough night's sleep. But does that mean you’re actually depressed? Quite the fine line between these two states of being.For most of us, these feelings come and go. But when sadness persists for more than two weeks and affects your ability to function at work, at home, or in other aspects of your life, you may have what's known as major, or clinical, depression.
Anonymous
January 10th, 2016 1:22pm
i recommande to have a talk with yourself . why am i not happy ? ask yourself ... if you find an answer(i just broke up , familly problems..) then you're sad .. and since you found the problem it's easier to find a solution now ...if you're had hurts and you found no reason why you're feeling that way .. you're mostly depressed and you need someone to regenerate your cheerfullness that's all
Your activity, your sleeping schedule, your lack of sleep. Your eating habits. Your conversations. Your absence from everyone, friends. The lack of taking care of your own self, all things related to that.
Everyone gets sad every once in awhile. Its just apart of life. Depresseion is the feeling or sadness over a long period of time, beng lethargic, having little to no motivation to do anything.
Sadness is normal human feeling which you have when something in your life isn't going right (if you had an argument with your best friend/gf/bf, or if you lost someone close to you etc.). Depression usually follows after experiencing something that made you feel sad but that feeling doesn't seem to go away and soon you become sad even though everything might go right in your life and you might be successful. So if you're experiencing constant feelings of sadness without any explanation you might have depression.
Its a feeling you have. Depression last longer. Its a lack of motivation. Sadness is about a specific thing that happened.
Sadness happens to everyone, but it usually passes given time. If your feelings of sadness linger, are excessive, or interfere with your work, sleep, or recreation, if you’re feeling fatigue or worthlessness, or experiencing weight changes along with your sadness, you may have depression. Get a proper diagnosis by a health professional to be sure.
Anonymous
January 16th, 2016 4:24pm
Well.... If you are sad a lot and thing offend make you sad easily then I would defiantly consider it. But mainly if something is really getting to you all the time and you always think of it e.g stress or a person. But try to notice mood changes and to ask people if you have acted or been different
Anonymous
January 17th, 2016 4:35pm
Sadness and depression , two words to be mixed with each other most times , but what the fact is sadness can only be a PART of depression , as depression itself comprises more than one feeling like sadness , guilt , hopelessness , anxiety also can accompany the term " depression " ...Both depression and sadness can come from events that may have negative impacts on that person ,but what should be considered is that sadness can only last for a short period of that event as how its impact diminishes on that person , but depression , can last for a longer period , also depression if had significant affects on the daily life of the sufferer and was characterized with continuity it may turn to a disorder known as " MDD " major depressive disorder .
Anonymous
January 18th, 2016 4:35pm
- Struggle to complete activities
- Always feel like I'm not good enough
- Loses interest in favorite past times
Anonymous
January 21st, 2016 11:43pm
When you're sad, you're... well, sad. But when you're depressed, it's another story. When you're depressed, you hate yourself, you want to get away from people, you feel empty, and angry.
Anonymous
January 22nd, 2016 5:55pm
You're going to feel tired, like the whole world is against you, maybe even like you need to hurt yourself. If this is the case, just know that hurting yourself isn't going to numb the pain, it'll make it worse. So, talk to somebody (a counselor, parent, adult, friend, etc) .
Depression is not sadness. Depression is feeling everything then nothing all at once. Its hating yourself every second of every day. You don't think of yourself as you, you think of yourself as your flaws. Depression takes away all hope and self esteem. Sadness and depression are very different.
Anonymous
January 23rd, 2016 6:25pm
if you are ssad or depressed you will know you will sit alone, never go out cant concentrate stop eating properly crying for no reason.
To me,being "sad "only happens for a short period time and being "depressed" is like you feel you have no energy to do whatsoever everyday and you lock yourself up from outside.
If you have been sad non-stop for a long period of time, then you are in depression and if you felt sadness for one day or so, it means you are sad, not depressed
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